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Investing in the Community
The proceeds from our annual Rotary Charity Duck Race are directed to the following three categories:
Duck Race Beneficiaries
Each year we accept proposals from local charitable organizations to be a duck race beneficiary. Areas of primary focus are:
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Literacy and Education
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Hunger and Nutrition
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Families and Children
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Housing and Shelter
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Health and Wellness
Information about the Grant Submittal process may be found here: Grant Info
Local Service Projects
We perform a number of local service projects each year. Some are continued from year to year, others are one-time projects. All are focused on the primary areas described above as well as programs that build better communities. The primary geographic service area is Daniel Island and the Caihoy/Huger peninsula.
Some (but not all) examples of projects in recent years are:
Hunger and Nutrition
We partner with Publix Supermarkets to deliver hundred of nutritious meals to families in need at selected holidays during the year. We have also conducted food drives with the Cainhoy Community Center for the Cainhoy/Huger area and with the Humanities Foundation for Daniel Island. Our Duck Race also supports the delivery of meals to seniors in need by East Cooper Meals on Wheels.
Literacy and Education
Each year, we provide dictionaries to every 3rd grader at the Daniel island and Cainhoy Schools; we've purchased books for both schools’ libraries and made grants to teachers for classroom supplies; we provide small scholarships to outstanding graduates to attend college or technical school; our Members participate in the Berkeley Reads, Roscoe Readers and Read 365 programs; we've purchased book bags for the Daniel Island library and support the Daniel Island Golfers for Education group that tutors students in reading skills; we have funded after-school programs such as Junior Achievement; and more. Our Rotary Club has won several awards from the Rotary District for the breadth and results of our Literacy projects.
Families and Children
Proceeds from the Duck Race fund programs to strengthen families through organizations such as East Cooper Community Outreach (ECCO), Tricounty Family Ministries, and First Tee of Greater Charleston. We also support local children’s groups such as the Daniel Island Cub Scout Pack in building bat houses and conducting programs for the proper disposal of used American flags.
Housing and Shelter
We support organizations such as St. Benedict’s St. Vincent DePaul home repair program that makes repairs that may be small, but which have a big impact. We have also participated in Habitat for Humanities programs.
Health and Wellness
Locally, we've purchased a rescue vehicle for the Daniel Island Fire Department to use in areas not accessible with their trucks. We've also supported a program called, by Angel Flight Soars, which flies critical ill patients to receive care at Charleston-area hospitals.
Internationally, we support Service project which focus on food and water, sanitation and disease eradication.
Better Communities
We are proud to invest in programs that improve our local community. Together with our community partners, we sponsor The Daniel Island Community Speakers Series, which brings the community together to hear distinguished speakers from throughout the Charleston area. We've acquired bleachers for Governor’s Park athletic field in partnership with the DICF as well as American flags in partnership with the DITA for display on patriotic holidays.
International Service Projects
We support international service projects focused on health and wellness. Two key projects are Rotary International’s initiative to eradicate polio worldwide and clean water programs to deliver water purification systems to areas of need. This latter project is conducted in partnership with Charleston-based Water Missions International.
Another area of focus is International Exchange and Peace and Conflict Resolution. Toward those aims, we sponsor in-bound exchange students who come to our area for a year of high school and out-bound exchange students who attend year of high school in a foreign country. We also sponsor Global Scholars, who attend a year of graduate school in a foreign country studying in an area of focused service, and Study Exchanges where local professionals visit a foreign country for a few weeks to meet with comparable professionals there.
Without Your Support, none of this would be possible
We thank everyone who supports our annual Rotary Charity Duck Race. The projects described above are all made possible through your support. We also thank the many organizations, particularly the Daniel Island Community Fund, who help us fund and perform a number of these projects as well as to help us present the duck race.